At least 2 dead as winter storm grips much of the US

At least two people have died as a massive winter storm swept across most of the country this weekend, causing plunging temperatures and dangerous travel conditions.

The Louisiana Department of Health (LDH) said two men died due to hypothermia, with their deaths being confirmed as storm related.

Meanwhile, New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani also reported five deaths in the Big Apple on Saturday amid the winter weather, although he said it was too early to confirm their cause of death.

The Context

The sprawling system brought sleet, freezing rain and heavy snow from the South through New England, causing widespread power outages, flight cancellations and hazardous travel as forecasters warned that dangerous cold would persist after the precipitation ended.

What To Know

In a press release on Sunday, Louisiana officials confirmed the two winter weather-related deaths in Caddo Parish, which is in the Shreveport area.

“Two men died due to hypothermia, and their ages are unknown,” according to the press release from LDH. “Both deaths were confirmed by the parish coroner as storm-related. No further information about these deaths will be released.”

Mamdani said at least five people died as temperatures plummeted on Saturday ahead of heavier snowfall in New York City.

“Today, at least 5 New Yorkers lost their lives. While it’s still too early to determine the causes of death, it is a reminder that every year New Yorkers succumb to the cold,” the mayor wrote in a post on X late Saturday. “The danger of this weather cannot be overstated.”

Scope of the Storm and Immediate Impacts

The National Weather Service (NWS) warned that snow, sleet and freezing rain would continue through Monday across large portions of the country, with heavy snow from the Ohio Valley into the Northeast and “catastrophic ice accumulation” possible from the Lower Mississippi Valley into the Mid-Atlantic and Southeast.

NWS meteorologist Allison Santorelli told the Associated Press that the storm was “so widespread,” affecting areas “all the way from New Mexico, Texas, all the way into New England,” describing a roughly 2,000-mile span.

On Sunday morning, about 213 million people were under some form of winter weather alert, with power outages exceeding 870,000 customers and rising. Tennessee had more than 300,000 outages, while Texas, Louisiana and Mississippi each exceeded 100,000 customers without power, Poweroutage.us shows.

More than 10,000 flights were canceled Sunday and another 8,000 were delayed, impacting major hubs in Philadelphia, Washington, Raleigh-Durham, New York and New Jersey, according to FlightAware data cited by the AP.

President Donald Trump approved emergency declarations for at least a dozen states on Saturday, and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) pre-positioned commodities, staff and search-and-rescue teams, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said.

What People Are Saying

National Weather Service meteorologist Allison Santorelli told the AP: “It is a unique storm in the sense that it is so widespread. It was affecting areas all the way from New Mexico, Texas, all the way into New England, so we’re talking like a 2,000 mile spread.”

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani said in a post on X: “Our teams are scouring the streets, offering shelter to homeless New Yorkers, and helping bring people inside. If you see anyone in need of help, please call 311 so our outreach teams can assist.”

Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem wrote in a post on X on Sunday: “Ahead of this storm, I activated the National Response Coordination Center to monitor the storm and coordinate federal support to affected areas. I am in contact with the state and local officials in the path of the storm. Federal emergency management is positioned to effectively respond and provide aid across the affected areas. We were prepared for this storm because President Trump made it his mission to fix federal disaster response. Please stay alert by keeping up with announcements from state, local, and federal agencies.”

What Happens Next

Forecasters said dangerous cold would persist across the eastern two-thirds of the country, slowing power restoration and cleanup.

Emergency declarations and federal support remained in place as states continued response and recovery operations, with schools and public services adjusting schedules and transportation systems working through significant delays and cancellations.